Though it had taken her a while to fall asleep, Formora woke up early the next morning.
"Oh, you're up," Teysa said in surprise when Formora went out into her living room. "Breakfast is almost over; would you like me to send it up here instead?"
"No, I'll...I'll eat with the others," Formora declined. She didn't relish being with so many people in this crowded fortress, but she couldn't stay in her room forever.
"Very well," Teysa nodded as she resumed dusting the fireplace.
Formora headed down to the cafeteria, where she took a big plate of pancakes and went to sit with Miles, the only person she liked. Well, 'liked' wasn't the right word, but Miles' company she minded the least. He was absentmindedly chewing on a piece of toast while he read a paper in front of him.
Her table at the front didn't have very many Pokemon at it. Team Terra were just finishing up, but the Ivanova sisters were still eating. Oksana was delicately nibbling on a mango while Sonya was intently stitching up some sort of doll.
It appeared to be an Azurill, with black buttons for eyes. Formora was curious why a grown woman like Sonya was playing with a doll.
"I, uh...like your doll," she said awkwardly, unsure of how to approach this.
"Hees nehme ees Mikhail," Sonya replied absently, expertly threading some more string through her needle.
"Son likes to make dolls. Everyone needs a hobby, after all," Oksana explained, shrugging in amusement.
"Why?" Formora asked, a bit unnerved by the creepy-looking doll. It seemed to stare right into her soul…
"Dulls mehke the best companions. Theh don't judge you, or betreh you. Theh just seet there and leesten pehtiently. Theh're perfect," Sonya explained resolutely.
"Um...They're just dolls, though," Formora said quietly. Sonya looked up and glared.
"I don't need your deesrespect, you eenconteenent fool!" she snapped.
"Eencompetent, Sonya. Eencompetent," Oksana correctly idly, not looking up.
"Whatever!" Sonya hissed, turning back to her doll and angrily stitching it up.
"Uh...What about you? What are your hobbies, then?" Formora asked, turning to Oksana. The Eelektross only smiled.
"Oh, Formora. You're not ready to see my work just yet. Be patient. Een the meantime, I have to get going. I have a very eemportant meeting I must attend. Sonya, I will see you later," she said, getting up and departing from the cafeteria.
Oksana's accent was lighter than Sonya's, but the two still pronounced certain sounds the same. They also rolled their r's, and Formora noted that Oksana pronounced Sonya's name as 'So-nyah', whereas everyone else pronounced it 'Sawn-yah'.
"So...how are you?" Formora asked Miles, trying to be polite.
"Hm? Oh, I'm fine. There are three unknown Pokemon that arrived on the island this morning. We think they're just an exploration team, but we're keeping a close eye on them anyway," he told her.
"Oh?" Formora raised an eyebrow.
"Yep. A Breloom, Mareep, and best of all, a Shiny Buneary. They headed into Lazy Bog a short while ago. I imagine we'll apprehend the Buneary soon," Miles nodded.
"Where's Lazy Bog?" Formora asked.
"Five minutes east of Azure Bay," he replied.
"I see." Formora said thoughtfully.
She finished her breakfast and headed on up to the training room, where Manectric and Gideon were waiting.
"Good morning, Formora. Ready for some more training?" Manectric greeted her. She nodded.
"Yes. I want to learn a stronger attack too," she said.
"Excellent! We picked out a good move for you to learn: Ice Beam. It's a concentrated beam of icy power that sometimes leaves the foe frozen. What do you think?" Manectric offered.
"Sounds good," Formora nodded. The stronger the attack, the better.
"Good. Now, before we begin, I must tell you: you can only remember up to four moves at a time. If you learn Ice Beam, you will forget a move. That's just the way it is," Manectric warned.
"Which move will be forgotten?" Formora asked, worried that she might lose her Powder Snow attack, which was her favorite.
"It'll always be the move that is least useful to you. I don't know who or what decided what that move is, but they're always right," Manectric shrugged as Gideon flicked his tongue.
"Oh. Well, let's get started," she said.
"Alright. Now, for Ice Beam, you want to concentrate your powers to manifest a blue ball of energy. Try concentrating it between your hands." Manectric began, circling her slowly.
She tried. She willed her energy to form into an icy ball of light between her hands. She concentrated hard, and to her delight a light blue ball appeared there.
"I did it!" she exclaimed happily, breaking her concentration. The blue ball dissipated. "Oh…"
"That was a nice job for your first attempt, but try not to let anything distract you. Try again." Manectric advised.
She did. She concentrated hard on recreating the blue ball, making her power form as she desired. The ball came easier this time, and she held it there, silently waiting for the next step.
"Good. Now, hold your arms out and direct the ball to shoot out a beam of ice. Practice on the dummies." Manectric ordered, walking behind her so he wouldn't get hit by accident.
Formora turned to face a straw dummy, and did as he bade, holding her hands out and mentally ordering the ball to strike. A few sparks shot out, but other than that nothing happened.
"Try again." Manectric encouraged. She did, with the same result.
"It's not doing what I want it to!" she seethed after the tenth failed attempt. She could summon the ball just fine now, but actually getting it to work was beyond her capability.
"Learning new moves takes practise. You don't just, say, slap a disk to your head and learn a new move just like that. Keep trying. You're doing better; the sparks are much longer." Manectric said. Gideon flicked his tongue out.
"'Focus your anger at the ball'," Manectric translated.
Formora turned back to the dummy, calling up the ball without a second thought. This time, she concentrated her frustration into her will as she bade it shoot forth. The ball obeyed, shooting a large beam at the dummy, instantly encasing it in ice.
Formora felt a large grin sliding across her face.
"I did it!" she exclaimed.
"Nice job! See if you can do it again." Manectric enthused.
She tried, again focusing her anger into willing the ball to obey. The attack came quicker, more efficiently.
Formora spent the next hour mastering Ice Beam, until the move was like second nature to her. A quick demonstration of the rest of her moves proved that she had lost the ability to use Double Team. Try as she might to will herself to create copies, she just...couldn't anymore. She was saddened by the loss, but her glee at having Ice Beam at her disposal was more prominent.
She used the rest of the morning training, striking the dummies over and over again. She even managed to learn how to create two Ice Beams, one in each palm, all by herself. Both Manectric and Gideon were impressed by her drive and ferocity.
"Wow! You're a natural at this!" Manectric whistled as Formora decimated another dummy.
He then had her work on her regular attacks by making her snap large branches as wide as a human arm in half.
She decided to call it a day after that. She was sweaty and tired, but overall immensely satisfied with how the morning went.
She left the training room, and decided to see what Miles was up to. Before she could enter the Intel room, however, Charmeleon came up to her and told her that Lord Giratina was waiting for her in the cafeteria. She hurried downstairs, curious as to what he wanted.
Just as she entered the first floor, she spotted a Bonsly heading her way. He looked sad, shuffling along slowly. Formora recalled that Bonsly was part of Team Valor, Natu's team. He'd just lost a teammate.
"Um...hi," Formora said, approaching him.
"Hm? Oh, hello," Bonsly replied, looking up at her with despondent eyes.
"I'm Formora. You're part of Team Valor, right? I'm...sorry about what happened yesterday," Formora said awkwardly.
"Believe me, we are too. Natu was our friend. We never suspected he was...Anyway, I don't think I've seen you here before. Where are you from?" Bonsly asked.
"I'm actually from another dimension. I'm supposed to be your Champion," she informed. Bonsly's eyes went went.
"Oh, Lady Champion! Forgive me for my ignorance!" he begged, throwing himself down at her feet.
"Please don't treat me like that. I don't like it," she replied, uncomfortable.
"Oh...my apologies. Huh...that's nice, how you're humble. You don't brag about your status," Bonsly observed quietly.
"I grew up as a street kid; I know better than to get all high and mighty," Formora frowned. She could certainly remember a few people like that.
"I'm glad you're our Champion," Bonsly smiled faintly.
"What happened yesterday, after Natu tried to kill me?" Formora asked, changing the subject. Bonsly sighed.
"Fiona and some others yanked us all out of bed after he fled. They locked us in the dungeon while they went through all our things. One by one, we were taken out of our cell, then we'd each return five minutes later. When it was my turn, they brought me to Oksana. She asked me, and I quote, 'When we find Natu, what should we do weeth heem?'. I wasn't expecting anything like that. I thought...I thought she was going to beat the living daylights out of me. She likes to do that kind of thing. Anyway, I thought for a moment, and I told her to do whatever she must. Of course I didn't really want Natu to have to deal with...with Oksana *gulp*, but on the other hand, he betrayed us all. She nodded, and I was returned to my cell. Venomoth and Skrelp said she had asked them the exact same question, and they'd all given similar answers. After a while, we were released. Oksana said she knew we were innocent. She even gave us some cookies in apology," he narrated.
"Wow. Do...do you think Natu is still…?" Formora couldn't finish the question.
"If he managed to beat the odds and escape the Deadlands, he'll be slowly dying from poison or heat-related injuries," Bonsly said grimly, not looking her in the eyes.
"Oh...I'm sorry, I have to go. Giratina's waiting for me," Formora said hastily, just realizing how much time had gone by.
"You shouldn't keep him waiting. It was nice meeting you, Formora." Bonsly advised as he walked up the stairs.
Formora hurried to the cafeteria, where Giratina was standing in the front of the room. There were a few Pokemon milling around and chatting to one another, but other than that the room was mostly bare.
"There you are. How was training?" Giratina inquired as she approached. In response, she successfully Ice Beamed a chair, encasing it completely in ice. Giratina nodded in approval.
"Excellent, excellent. You are developing into a fine Pokemon. Now that you have some dungeon experience and some training under your belt, I think it is time I give you your first mission. After that, I will ask you if you will stay in this world. If you choose to do so, then you will officially become our Champion. If not, then I will return you to your world," Giratina said.
Formora stood up straighter. Her very first test. She was ready for it, no matter what it was.
"Bring me a Shiny Pokemon," he rumbled, looking down upon her. She nodded. She could easily do that. She knew where one was right now, anyway.
"You should break its arm," Cradily suggested as he, Binacle, and Sonya walked up to them.
"What?!" Formora exclaimed in horror. Kidnapping was one thing, but she wasn't sure if she could willingly break someone's arm just for the pleasure of it.
"Hmm, yes. Bring me a Shiny Pokemon. And break its arm. I want to make sure that you're worthy of your title, Miss Champion," Giratina mused.
"You're the Champion of Darkness, right? So prove that you're one of us. Or are you too scared?" Binacle taunted.
She glared at him. That settled it, then.
"I am one of you. I'll do even better! I'll break all of its arms!" she shouted, racing out of the cafeteria.
She barged through the main entrance and raced down the mountain. She remembered where Azure Bay was, so she merely headed east of its location.
As Miles had said, there was a small bog to the east of the watery dungeon. Gnarled trees surrounded a muddy path, which led to...darkness. Formora couldn't see what lay inside. This must be the place.
She raised her head, and confidently walked into the dungeon, hoping that the Shiny Buneary and its teammates were still here.
Lazy Bog ( watch?v=hyGaX_lVcSk)
B1F
The first thing she noticed was that the air was muggy, and hot. Sweat immediately formed on her brow as she took in the scene. The ground was muddy, and if she had feet she could imagine it going squish squish as she walked.
Pools of brown, bubbling water surrounded the land, and gnarled trees that blocked the sun grew underwater.
She hated it instantly.
She wasn't a quitter, though. Far from it. So, she held her head high and floated down the only path, which headed north.
To her delight, the Stairs were in the next room.
B2F
The second floor was just as bad as the first. To make things worse, there was a Murkrow in the room with her.
"Go away," Formora growled as she sent out a Powder Snow at it. It let out an angry squawk, and dove at her face.
Before she could react, the Murkrow began Pecking her repeatedly. Formora shrieked, shielding her face with her hands. Angrily, she blasted it with Ice Beam. To her delight, the point-blank attack was powerful enough to stop it. It fell to the ground, where it promptly disappeared.
There were two paths she could take, one leading south and the other leading west. She decided to take the southern path, and found an Oran Berry lodged in the mud. She picked it up, and rinsed most of the mud off in the water.
In this room, the only path led east, so she headed down that hall. In the next room she came to, she spotted a light blue Pokemon entering from the northern corridor. What was it called? A Wooper.
The Wooper spotted her, and began sending clods of dirt up into the air, showering the both of them in dirt.
Formora displeased by this, shot a Powder Snow at the tiny little foe. It hopped out of the way and spat a blast of water from its mouth and at her. Ah, she recognized this attack.
She flattened herself to the ground, and sent out an Ice Beam back at it. The Wooper cried out as it was frozen, completely encased in ice.
She let it thaw somewhat until it could be attacked again, then took advantage of its immobility to repeated Astonish it.
It fainted just as it thawed completely.
The Stairs were in the next room.
B3F
Bah, she was starting to regret coming in here. She was sweating buckets, and longed to her in her air conditioned room up in the fortress.
The first room she entered had a sleeping Tympole. She debated on whether or not she wanted to attack it, but decided against it, as battling would only make her hotter and sweatier.
At least the Stairs were in the next room.
B4F
The good news was that the Stairs were in the same room she arrived in. The bad news was that they were being guarded by a...Zubat? Yes, a Zubat, and a Tympole.
Both the Tympole and Zubat sent out multiple blue rings from their mouths.
She did not know this attack, so she dodged the attack. But, the Tympole spat multiple bubbles at her that exploded when they made contact. She fell to the floor with a cry, and grunted as she felt the blue rings finally hit her.
They made her vision spin around and around, until she couldn't tell which way was up and which was down. She stumbled around in confusion, shooting an Ice Beam at something that was either a tree or the Zubat. She hissed as she felt fangs sink into her skin and drain her energy. A second later, she felt more of the exploding bubbles touch her, and she fell to the ground in pain.
Thankfully, her vision cleared, and panting she ate the Oran Berry she was miraculously still holding. She felt her strength return immediately, and with a wolfish grin she blasted both her foes with a wide spread of Powder Snow. They both flew backward, and Formora immediately took advantage to blast the Zubat with Ice Beam. It fell to the ground and disappeared, leaving only the Tympole.
The Tympole sent out more blue rings from its mouth. Formora, not wanting to be confused again, jumped out of the way, and with a shout she crashed into the Tympole, sending it flying. She quickly blasted it mid-air with Ice Beam, and to her satisfaction the last foe fell.
She strutted victoriously to the Stairs.
Lazy Marsh ( watch?v=QAmX-eok6Cc)
Breloom, Mareep, and Buneary were just finishing up their exploration of the dungeon.
"I think we're just about done here. Shall we move on to the next one?" Breloom suggested after the trio had thoroughly combed over every inch of the area.
The end of the dungeon just led to a small, muddy clearing surrounded by brackish water that prevented them from moving forward. Gnarled trees blocked most of the sunlight.
"Sure! ...Wait, did you hear that? It sounded like someone's approaching," Buneary warned, one long ear turned towards the exit.
Formora blinked when she saw the trio in front of her. She hadn't been expecting to reach the end of the dungeon so quickly. She frowned. Of course, it would be only four floors.
She gazed slowly around the muddy clearing, until her eyes rested on the tiny Buneary, whose tufts were pink instead of pale yellow. This was her target, the one whose limbs she must break. Could she do it?
It didn't matter. She had to.
"Hi there. Are you an explorer too?" the Breloom asked pleasantly. She looked at him. Didn't he know that they were on the Dark Isle? What fools.
"I am not. I came here looking for you three," she responded, keeping her voice neutral. She couldn't let them know how nervous she was. She'd never gone up against three foes at once before.
"Really? Why? I don't think we know you. Who are you?" the Mareep frowned, tilting her head in confusion.
"Who I am doesn't matter. I'm here for the Buneary," Formora shook her head.
"Me? Why?" the Buneary asked. Formora was inwardly confused by how...trusting these three were. She, a stranger, had followed them here. Didn't they realize the danger they were in?
"You're Shiny. All Shinies must be escorted to the base on top of the mountain," Formora explained, gesturing in the direction of the mountain. Sudden dawning came to the three.
"I get it now. You're one of them. You're part of the group that's kidnapping Shinies all over the continent, are you?" the Breloom demanded coldly, stepping into a fighting position. All of the blood drained from the Buneary's face, and with a horrified squeak she hid behind the Mareep and Breloom. Clearly, the latter two were the fighters of the group.
"Correct. I assume you're not going to come quietly, then?" Formora nodded. It was easy, acting like she was some high-ranking member of the Dark when in truth she was just a former-human who had little idea what she was doing. The act was equally for her own reassurance and for the team.
"That's right. You're not going to lay a finger on Buneary. We're Team Dazzle; nothing stops us. There's three of us and only one of you. We'll defeat you, and then we'll throw you in prison along with the rest of your group!" the Mareep stormed, sparks flying from her body.
"Somehow I doubt that very much," Formora said idly, crossing her arms.
"Hah! You haven't met foes as strong as us!"the Breloom bragged.
"Is that so? I guess we'll have to do this the hard way, then," Formora said coldly as she blasted her Powder Snow in their direction.
All three jumped out of the way. They were more proficient in battling than she was; she'd have to be careful not to let her guard down around these three. One wrong move, one little slip-up, and she could say goodbye to being a part of this world.
"Go ahead, make our day," the Breloom snarled as he threw a transparent green beam from his arms at her.
Boss Battle!
Formora threw herself out of the way of the beam, snarling as she Leered hard at them. The trio faltered in their attacks, momentarily frightened. Before they could get over their brief pause, she hit the tall Breloom with Ice Beam.
She was very glad she had gotten control over the move, she thought as she watched the Breloom sail backwards and land head-first into the water. He sat up with a start, sputtering and coughing.
"Breloom!" the Mareep cried as she began charging at Formora.
Formora, recognizing the attack, stayed still, letting the Mareep ram her with Tackle. Before Shinx had interrupted their lesson yesterday, Simon had explained to her that normal-type moves like Tackle would do almost nothing to a ghost-type like her.
The trio deserved to lose now, for their idiocy.
"Tackle won't work on her, Mareep!" Breloom shouted as he shook the water from him. "At least, not yet. Buneary, use your Foresight!"
"O-oh, right…" the Buneary trembled as her eyes glowed red. A red wave began emanating from her body and all across the area, disappearing once it reached the exit behind Formora. As the wave touched her, she felt a tingle run through her, but otherwise nothing else happened.
"Normal-type moves don't work against ghost-types…" Simon had told her yesterday. "But the move Foresight allows them to hit ghost-types, so be careful."
She frowned. She rather liked being immune to certain attacks, and now that Buneary had taken it away from her.
She rushed forward with a shout, bowling into both the Breloom and Mareep with her Astonish. The Buneary was right in front of her now, looking pitifully at her.
She dodged the Buneary's half-hearted Pound, laughing as she blasted her with Powder Snow as her quarry sailed past.
"Just give up already! Stop making it harder on yourself!" Formora stormed as the Buneary struggled to pick herself off the ground.
"Buneary, stay back! Leave it to us!" the Mareep's voice came from behind.
Formora turned, and her eyes widened in surprise. Before she could react, she was struck by the transparent green beam as well as a weak blast of electricity. She cried out, feeling both electricity course through her as her energy was drained. That green beam felt like a stronger version of Absorb. That wasn't good.
Angrily, Formora shrugged off the pain and sent a wide spray of Powder Snow at the offending foes. Both were knocked back, but they were quick to get back onto their feet.
She heard a sound behind her, and without turning she shot a one-handed Ice Beam behind her. A scream from the Buneary told her that she had hit her mark. As if that Buneary could try and hit her while her back was turned.
"Buneary! No!" the Mareep cried. Formora smiled. It sounded like she had defeated her quarry. Time to beat the rest of the team.
The Breloom launched the green beam again, but Formora was quick to evade. She was starting to tire, and she still had two more foes to beat.
She quickly blasted the remaining two with Powder Snow as they prepared to attack once more. They flinched as the icy chill hit them, and Formora quickly followed by chucking an extra-powerful Ice Beam at them.
The beam successfully hit them both. Formora leaned forward, panting hard. She'd put a lot of power into that particular attack; hopefully it had done its job. As she looked at her foes, her eyes widened in horror. The Breloom had been knocked out, but the Mareep was still standing, glaring intensely at Formora.
"How?!" Formora screeched, throwing another Powder Snow.
"I'm not down yet," the Mareep said simply, easily ducking out of the way of the chilly blast of ice and snow.
"Just faint already!" Formora hissed.
Formora quickly threw a Powder Snow at the remaining foe. The Mareep leaped out of the way, and began speeding towards Formora, probably for another Tackle. Well, Formora had absolutely no intention of letting her succeed.
She tossed an Ice Beam at the charging enemy, but the pesky Mareep dodged again. The Mareep leaped forward, and struck Formora right in the gut. She felt the breath be knocked out of her as she was sent sailing through the air.
She crashed into a tree, and stunned she fell face-first into the ground.
She struggled to get up, seeing spots at the edges of her vision. This needed to end. Soon.
"Are you going to give up yet, or do I have to Tackle you again?" the Mareep asked coldly, standing nearby. Formora managed to stand, and she grinned, panting heavily.
"Never…" she replied. Now, here was a real challenge. Low on health, and fighting a worthy opponent. She laughed as she felt the thrill of fighting to survive course through her. This was what she was meant to do!
"Alright then. I guess I'll just have to finish you off," the Mareep shrugged as she sent an electrical shock towards her.
Formora rolled out of the way, surprising the Mareep, who had thought she was done for. Oh, how wrong that Mareep was. She thrived on fighting to survive. From the winters of Castelia City to avoiding the police every day, she did her best when the odds were stacked against her.
She gleefully shot the Mareep with Ice Beam. The fluffy foe was hurled backwards, until she landed in the mud with a thud. Formora laughed, then cried out as she was hit by a retaliated electric shock.
Her glee suddenly turned to anger, and she and the Mareep stared each other down. Formora held her hands out parallel to the floor, summoning an Ice Beam in each hand. The Mareep responded by sending sparks from her woolly body.
"Shall we?" Formora growled.
"Let's," the Mareep nodded.
They sent out their attacks at each other, which met in the middle to create a small explosion. Formora blindly sent a Powder Snow in her enemy's direction anyway, and she narrowly missed getting hit by the electrical attack in turn.
When the smoke cleared, the two fighters charged at each other, using Tackle and Astonish. But Formora ducked at the last second, and blasted the Mareep with Powder Snow at point-blank range.
The Mareep took a few seconds to get back up, and charged back into the fray. She tried to hit Formora with the electrical attack, but Formora threw herself down on the ground, the attack whizzing above her head and into the surrounding marsh. A sharp bzzt! sound came from the now-glowing water. The glow dissipated after a second, and soon the water returned to normal.
Formora started to stand back up-and quickly threw herself out of the way of the Mareep's follow-up Tackle. She landed in the mud, and with a grimace she lifted her head and spat out colds of squishy, disgusting dirt.
With a scowl, she sent out a flurry of Powder Snow at the Mareep—more as a distraction to let her get up than anything—and swiftly sent out an Ice Beam at the chilled foe. The Mareep narrowly escaped the beam of ice, and charged at Formora, intending on a Tackle. Formora leaped out of the way, as the Mareep whirled on her feet for another go-around.
Formora got back up, and threw another Powder Snow at the Mareep. The yellow-and-blue enemy jumped high into the air, sending yet another electrical shock down at Formora, who responded by sending an Ice Beam to meet the current in the air, creating another small explosion.
A large boom reverberated through the area, and a large loud of gray smoke appeared, clouding the clearing and preventing the two battlers from seeing.
Formora charged through the smoke, startling the Mareep when she burst through.
"You're done now. Bye bye," Formora told her as she quickly blasted the Mareep with Powder Snow.
"N-no!" the Mareep protested weakly, struggling to stand against her icy onslaught.
Formora kept pumping her Powder Snow from her hands and onto her foe. She sensed victory was almost here. The Mareep continued to endure her attack, so Formora increased the intensity into a narrow, powerful stream of snow.
The Mareep stood for a few more seconds, until finally, she fell.
Formora fell to the ground, exhausted by the battle. She lay there for a few moments until enough of her strength had returned. She looked over towards the Buneary, feeling dread wash over over. Now that the battle was over, next came the real hard part. She swallowed, feeling a lump rise in her throat as she headed over to the unconscious Buneary.
She picked up a limp arm, then paused, unsure of what to do next. How to go about breaking it, then? And was she even up to the task?
For a moment, Formora had the urge to run away. But that would mean she failed her test. Team Miasma's mocking laughter echoed in her head, and she pushed away her doubts as she cast about for something to use.
Don't think. Just act.
There wasn't anything in the area that she could really use. Then the memory of her breaking sticks with her hand came to her head. Oh. Oh. That was...a rather barbaric method.
She steeled herself as she extended the Buneary's arm. Formora balled her hand into a fist, and raised it high above her head.
Don't think. Just act.
She brought her arm down as hard as she could muster. Her fist landed right on the Buneary's elbow.
She swallowed her revulsion as she felt something crack. The Buneary let out a piercing scream as spasms wracked her entire body.
The Mareep and Breloom stirred at this, but a quick Powder Snow from Formora sent them back into unconsciousness again.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" the Buneary screamed, opening her eyes.
Formora didn't answer, and only proceeded to shatter the other elbow. This time, the Buneary's eyes rolled up into her skull as she went limp again. The pain must've been too great.
Formora dropped the arm, and studied the short, stubby legs, wringing her aching hand. If the elbow was easily breakable, then that would mean the knee was too, right? But Bunearys didn't have knees.
The toes, then.
She shattered two of the three muddy toes on the left foot, then all three on the other. It was easier for her to do it, now that she'd already broken other bones. What kept running around in her mind was how...easy it had been to break the weak points.
Her hand was red and swollen when she was done with the foul deeds. She'd need to rest it, right after she brought the very-unconscious Buneary back to Giratina.
She scooped up the pitiful figure in her arms, and carried her back to the base.
By the time she had made it up the mountain and to the doors, she was panting and sweating from having to carry the Buneary.
She was only too glad to drop the brown-and-pink figure in front of Giratina and Team Miasma.
"Oh my Arceus, she actually did it," Binacle marveled, his jaws dropped open.
"That's quite impressive. We didn't think you had it in you," Cradily whistled.
"How'd you do eet?" Sonya demanded. Formora showed them her swollen hand.
"Now that is hardcore. Nice job, Formora," Cradily laughed.
"I must say, I am impressed. How do you feel?" Giratina inquired, nudging the Buneary with a giant toe. She moaned, but otherwise didn't stir.
"I don't know," Formora replied honestly. There was a swirl of emotions whirling around inside of her; she'd need some time to process them all. Giratina nodded in understanding.
"You had no easy task. Many lesser Pokemon would have balked, but you surpassed all expectations. Will you stay on with us, then?" he asked suddenly.
"Yes," Formora replied simply. She paused, surprised at her answer. It had just come out.
"I am pleased. Go to the infirmary and get your hand seen to. After that, meet with Simon," he ordered.
She did as he bade, first heading up to her room to rinse the mud and muck off of her, then got an ice pack for her throbbing hand from the infirmary. She met Chansey, the kind nurse, who gave her a grape-flavored lollipop in welcome.
She went to her classes, and learned about type matchups, moves, and Abilities.
After her classes were over, she headed back into the cafeteria for dinner. The Buneary was nowhere to be seen, and the hall was crowded with hungry Pokemon.
She waited impatiently in line, grabbed a few things off the bar, and went to sit at her place at the table in the front.
"So, you captured yourself the Shiny Buneary, I hear," Miles greeted as she sat down. Formora nodded. She'd been thinking about it all afternoon.
"How'd it go?" Katrina asked as everyone minus Oksana looked towards her. The Eelektross was nowhere to be seen.
Formora explained the events, and how she had broken the Buneary's limbs. Everyone was impressed.
"That Buneary was out cold. You should have seen it," Cradily told the others.
"And you broke its bones with just your hand? My, that is most astonishing," Sumatra admired.
"The Breloom and Mareep kept wandering all around the island after you left, searching and searching for their companion. Eventually, though, we scared them into leaving the island," Miles informed.
As everyone was finishing up their last few bites, Oksana rushed to the table with a huge pile of food. She was covered in smelly red paint.
"Ah, I'm so glad I made eet before they stopped serving…" she sighed in relief, panting.
"What's todeh's number?" Sonya asked.
"Two," Oksana replied, digging voraciously into her mountain of food. Sonya's eyebrows shot straight up.
"Only two?!" the Banette demanded in surprise.
"I was een meetings all day. I had virtually no time for pleasure," Oksana explained.
"What are you two talking about?" Formora asked.
"You don't want to know," Oksana shook her head.
"No, tell her. She broke a Buneary's leembs weeth just her bare hands!" Sonya argued. Oksana looked at Formora incredulously.
"That Shiny Buneary that arrived een the afternoon, with eets hands and toes shattered? That was you?" she said in disbelief. Formora nodded. Oksana blinked, then nodded approvingly.
"Excellent work, going for the elbows. Very weak spot, that ees. Nicely done. Very well, I'll tell you. Sonya was asking me how many Pokemon I keelled today. Normally eet's much higher, but like I said, I was een meetings for most of the day. Although tomorrow, I can make up for today," she explained, grinning cruelly.
"You...killed two Pokemon today? Why?" Formora asked slowly, not sure if she had heard the Eelektross correctly. She hoped it was just Oksana's accent that made her mishear.
"After I was done weeth my meetings, I had just a leetle beet of time left before deenner. So I decided to work on my Locked-Een Seendrome project, the one I told you about. That's why I'm like thees; I deedn't have time to clean up before deenner. Sad to say, both expereements were failures...Speaking of failures, are you going to attend the concert tonight?" Oksana asked, gesturing to the red paint all over her body.
No, that was blood, Formora realized with a start. Odd, she didn't actually feel too queasy as she gazed at the crimson spatters on Oksana's body.
"Well?" Oksana prompted. Formora looked up, momentarily lost.
"What? Oh. Uh, what concert? Is it that bad?"
"It's Friday; Sorin and the others are playing tonight. They're actually pretty good. 'Failure' is just the name of one of their songs." Manectric responded, having been listening in.
"I see. Um, I guess I'll go," Formora shrugged uncomfortably. She had attended small concerts before. They were much too loud and crowded for her taste, but she could always leave if she got too overwhelmed.
"I'll see you then, I suppose. Een the meantime, I need to go clean up," Oksana nodded in satisfaction as she got up and left.
Formora finished her dinner soon after, and stayed in the cafeteria like most of the other Pokemon in the room. Some left, but the majority of the residents were hanging around for the concert, it seemed.
She felt Miles tap her arm.
"This would be an excellent time to meet the other Pokemon you haven't been introduced to yet," he said kindly. Formora sighed. He was right, though she disliked the idea of it.
He came with her as she introduced herself to the rest of Team Valor, Venomoth and Skrelp. Bonsly was staring intently at a newspaper.
"Whatcha reading?" Miles asked nicely.
"I am trying to figure out this puzzle, but it's way over my head," Bonsly sighed. Miles looked at the puzzle, then tilted his head.
"Um, Bonsly? That's the horoscope. That's not a puzzle," he said.
"The day before yesterday it told me to seek new endeavors. But, today it's telling me to stick with what I know I'm good at. Well, which is it? Learn something new or don't?!" the smaller Pokemon raged.
Miles only shook his head in amusement.
"How are you three doing?" Formora asked.
"We're alright. We're slowly recovering from our incarceration," Bonsly sighed as the remains of his teammates looked down.
"Your in-what?" Formora frowned.
"Incarceration. Our imprisonment, confinement. Sorry, I try to learn a new word every day," Bonsly explained.
Formora nodded politely.
Seated next to them was Conkeldurr, who was also part of a one-Pokemon team, Team Formora asked why he named himself Team Omega, he responded gruffly that it was because he was the last thing his opponents ever saw.
Formora shuddered and headed away from the small group. She formally met Team Ascension, who were distant but cordial to her. After them came Team Supernova.
"Cate should be up in the training room, not wasting time here," Marvel the Furret was grumbling as he watched Cate, who was up on the stage with the rest of the band, help prepare for the concert.
"She does need the help," Troja, an androgynous Porygon-Z agreed. Troja spoke in an almost artificial tone.
The two didn't seem especially keen on speaking to Formora, so she left them and returned to her seat. Oksana had already returned, not a speck of blood on her.
Sorin, Cate, Charmeleon, Azumarill, Gabite, and Gothorita spent some time setting up their instruments and attaching them to speakers. Then they set up two big spotlights.
When they were done, Sorin nodded to Croconaw, who was waiting by the lightswitch. She flipped it, plunging the room into darkness. Formora couldn't even see her own hand in front of her face. Then the spotlights were turned on, illuminating the band.
Cate held her guitar erect with her Confusion, and at Sorin's signal she began strumming a few notes. She plucked the strings at the bottom with her hands, but she used her Confusion to pluck the strings at the top.
Cate began a simple tune, and Azumarill started up on the drums after a few seconds. After a few more moments, the entire band began playing a hard, guitar-heavy tune.
"If I had to, I would put myself right beside you, so let me ask 'Would you like that? Would you like that?' And I don't mind if you say this love is the last time, so now I'll ask 'Do you like that? Do you like that?' NO! Something's getting in the way, something's just about to break. I will try to find my place in the diary of Jane, so tell me how it should be!" Sorin sang, as the crowd cheered and sang along. Even Miles and Team Miasma were nodding their heads to the beat.
As Sorin continued his ballad against Jane, Formora became increasingly impressed by the raw emotion in his powerful voice. She could feel the pain, the longing in his voice.
Now if only it were quieter, and less crowded in here. Then she might have actually enjoyed herself.
After that song ended, the six immediately dive into another one. This must have been a huge favorite with the audience, because the others were going absolutely crazy with enthusiasm. Formora, on the other hand, held her hands over her ears, trying to block out the excessive noise.
"Life will come our way; it has only just begun," Sorin began. "The world will die alone! The frail will fall below! Time will take our place; we return it back to one. The calm before the cold! The long and lonely road! Look for the light that leads me home. Tired of feeling lost, tired of letting go! Tear the whole world down! Tear the whole world down! Tired of wasted breath, tired of nothing left! Tear the whole world down! Tear the whole world down! Failure…"
Now, here was a song she could get behind. Formora was surprised to find herself cheering and singing along with everyone else. What had gotten into her? It was like the music had put a spell on her or something. Formora decided she didn't mind. She cheered wildly with the rest after the song ended.
The six played a few more songs after that, most of them about destroying the Dark's enemies. She liked those songs too, and was even sad when they played their final song.
The lights came on, and the band began packing up. Formora came up to the stage.
"That was amazing! Normally I don't like concerts, but you guys...you guys were awesome!" she exclaimed. All six grinned and blushed.
"Aw, thank you. We had a good time, too. We always play on Tuesdays and Fridays, so come see us again," said Gabite.
"I will. I really liked the second song you played," Formora nodded.
"Failure? That's most people's favorite too," Cate remarked as she put her guitar in its case.
Formora waved as the band departed, then she too left the cafeteria, heading up to her room.
She was surprised to find that it was almost bedtime. The concert had gone on much longer she had thought.
She settled into bed, reflecting on today's events. The look on Team Miasma's face when they saw what she did to that Buneary had been very satisfying. Granted, they did much worse to other Pokemon, but they hadn't been expecting her to be brutal. Getting to wipe the looks off their smug faces had made her day.
Today had been rather fun, overall.
The songs the band sings are excerpts from Diary of Jane and Failure, both by Breaking Benjamin. All rights go to them, not I.
I tried to tailor the boss fight song to the action and dialogue, but depending on your reading speed it may not match up. Ah well, I tried at least x.x
Our protagonist seems to be coming around to the idea of inflicting pain. That's not good...
The next post shall feature: a lesson with Oksana, a game of dodgeball, and a trip to the dungeon.